For major enlightenment, pros seek out Jack Nicklaus

He is the guru on golf's mountaintop, though Jack Nicklaus is still trying to figure out just how he got there.

"I'll be darned if I know," the 72-year-old master said recently.

What seems clear is that the Golden Bear has this golden touch with today's young generation. Players who seek out his counsel – or is it enlightenment? – somehow get rewarded with breakthrough victories in short order.

When Charl Schwartzel won last year's Masters, he did it with a hole-by-hole blueprint gleaned from Nicklaus. After Rory McIlroy's wrenching collapse at Augusta National, a pep talk from the guru put him in the right frame of mind to run away with theU.S. Open.

Before the 2010 PGA Championship, Nicklaus spent time with eventual winner Martin Kaymer. Ditto for Trevor Immelman before the 2008 Masters. Heck, even an LPGA sprite requested an audience in January. Weeks later, Jessica Korda won the season opener in Australia.

"Jack Nicklaus – almost a God figure of golf – to be able to meet him and talk to him is really, really fun," said PGA Championship titleholder Keegan Bradley, who sought out Nicklaus during last month's Honda Classic.

What's funny is that Bradley and McIlroy hadn't even been born when Nicklaus captured his final major at the 1986 Masters. Schwartzel and Kaymer hadn't turned 2 yet. Their knowledge of Nicklaus comes from magazine articles and highlight clips.

But no one can argue with Nicklaus' credentials: 18 major titles, plus 19 more in which he finished runner-up. He placed among the top five in 21 other majors.

And it would be difficult to find anyone more giving of his time.

"I've spent a bit of time with him over the past couple of years," McIlroy said. "When I'm in Palm Beach at The Bear's Club, a couple of times I've had lunch with him."

Schwartzel met Nicklaus for the first time a couple of years ago at Ernie Els' annual charity event for autism research. Former Sunshine Tour chairman Johann Rupert arranged the lunch, then asked if Nicklaus might have a few tips to share about playing Augusta National.

"He actually took the time to take me through all 18 holes – the way he used to think around Augusta and the way he used to play it," Schwartzel recalled.

"I've only seen it on TV. And now I'm in the presence of Mr. Nicklaus, and it's such a big awe. I'm just staring at him and taking in what I can. Luckily Mr. Rupert was taking a lot of notes, so afterwards we had it all."

McIlroy wasn't in need of a playing tip when he sat down with Nicklaus 10 months ago at the Memorial Tournament. Still stinging a bit from his Sunday meltdown at Augusta, he wanted to learn from the ordeal.

"He emphasized so much to me about not making mistakes," McIlroy said of his golf Yoda. "He said people lost a lot more majors and gave them to him than he actually won."

Nicklaus doesn't come in with any prepared wisdom. He lets players ask questions, letting the conversation meander wherever it takes them. Often, though, the underlying message comes down to self-awareness.

"I think the thing that I try to impress upon these kids is that each one is an individual and everybody does things differently," he said. "But you've got to figure out who you are, what you are, why you are, and how you do things.

"I'm the only guy that I can control. So you have to figure out how you do that. And everybody is going to be different in how they do that."

Wise words from the mountaintop. Even if the guru is a little bemused by it all.

"I didn't think I would ever be a psych coach," Nicklaus said. "I'm telling you, no idea. But it's actually kind of fun to see these kids come and try to be able to help them and see them have some success."